Pron^-al  f;s  Bh: 


Circular  No.  92/ 

Unit 


*i  to.  i-'overnme 

merit  of  Agriculture. 

NTOMOLCKiY 

iltomalogUt  and  Chief  of  Bureau. 


MITKS  AM»  IK  I!  ON   POULTRY. 

Bj   Nathan   Banks,    Imtixtant  Entomologist. 

Everyone  has  seen  hens  squatting  in  ;i   hole  of  dust,  vigorously 

retching,  fluttering  their  wings  and   lifting  their   feathers  in  an 

effort  I-  get  the  dust  to  the  body.    This  is  evidence  that  the  hens  are 

infested    with    mites   or   lice,   and   they   are   using  the   means   mosl 

available  to  get  rid  of  their  tormentors. 

Ordinarily  the  fowls,  by  this  process,  are  able  to  keep  the  parasites 
in  check,  and  although  there  is,  of  course,  some  loss  in  flesh  :m<l  eees 
there  is  no  serious  damage.  But  in  the  case  of  setting  hens  the  mites 
and  lice  increase  t<>  an  enormous  extent,  -<>  that  the  young  chick  issu- 
ing from  the  egg  i-  ;it  the  mercy  of  hordes  of  hungry  parasites. 
S  me  claim  that  a  single  individual  of  these  voracious  parasites, 
attacking  the  throat  of  a  young  chick,  may  cause  death.  Various 
troubles  arc  attributed  by  expert  poultry  growers  to  the  presence  of 
mites  and  lice,  including  bowel  disease  in  summer,  drowsiness,  refusal 
to  eat,  gradual  wasting  away,  loss  of  feathers,  etc.  Poultry  are  fre- 
quently supposed  to  l>e  suffering  from  some  disease  when  the  real 
cause  of  their  ill  health  i-  an  excessive  abundance  <>f  lice  <>r  rait 

MITES 


I  III     I   lin  KEN     M  I  II  . 

The  mite  most  commonly  found  on  poultry  throughout  the  United 
State-,  and  the  one  'ailed  the  "chicken  mite."  i-  scientifically  known 
as  !'■  R  Se<   fig.  1.)     Et  has  long  been  known 

to  naturalists,  and  occurs  on  fowl-  in  Europe  and  other  part-  of  the 
world. 

OPTION     \N'i    BABIT8. 

It  i-  an  elliptical,  somewhat  flattened  mite,  nearly  one-twentieth 
of  an  inch  long,  an. I  plainly  visible  t>>  the  naked  eye     Often  it  i-  of 

"7 


;i  pale  gray  color,  with  darker  spots;  but  after  feeding  it  usually  be- 
comes more  or  less  reddish,  according  to  the  amount  of  blood  it  has 
sucked  from  its  host.  It  has  eight  rather  -lender,  tapering  legs,  a 
pair  of  shorter  feelAs.or  palpi  in  front,  and  between  the  latter  is  a 
pair  of  needle-like  mandibles  with  which  it  secure-  it-  food. 

The  adult  mother  mite  lays  her  tiny  (^gg>  in  crack-  and  crevices  of 
the  wood,  usually  where  there  i-  some  manure  or  other  filth.  The 
mites  when  born  are  whitish  in  color,  oval  in  shape,  and  have  but  -ix 
legs.  They  feed  largely,  if  not  wholly,  upon  filth,  but  when  older 
attack  the  chickens.  If  a  partly  hatched  Qgg  is  broken  in  the  ne-t 
the  mites  swarm  and  feed  upon  it.  After  the  young  mite-  have  fed 
for  a  few  day-  they  molt,  or  -bed  their  skin,  and  appear  with  eight 
legs,  looking  more  like  their  parents.     Other  molts  occur  before  the 


Fig.  1.— The  chicken  mite  (2*  Adult;  6,  tarsus;  c, 

All  much  enlarged  l  from  oOxirn 


~:  '.'  anil  '.  young 


adult  condition  i-  reached,  the  mites  becoming  mature  in  about  ten 
•  lays  from  birth. 

Darkness  and  dampness  are  favorable  to  the  increase  of  the  pests, 
and  plenty  of  sunlight  and  good  ventilation  will  do  much  to  hinder 
them.  The  mites  do  not  remain  on  the  poultry  all  the  time,  but 
usually  only  long  enough  to  feed :  they  then  either  wander  about  in 
search  of  another  host  or  retire  into  crevices.  They  are  mo<t  active 
at  night,  but  when  very  numerous  many  can  be  found  crawling  about 
by  day.  By  some  means,  possibly  by  the  sense  of  smell,  they  are 
able  to  realize  that  a  hen  is  near  by,  and  within  a  few  minute-  after 
a  hen  has  settled  upon  her  nest  the  mites  will  be  found  upon  her. 

The  chicken  mite  will  attack  other  kind-  of  fowls,  hor-e-.  and  even 
man.  The  mite  found  upon  pigeons,  however.  i>  now  considered  to 
tClr.  92] 


be  a  *  I  i  - 1 1 1 1 « - 1  species.     Pigeon  .  therefore,  do  not  i  the  chicken 

mite,  as  was  formerly  supposed  b)  man}  | pie. 

The  1"--  caused  l>\  the  chicken  mite     .  "i    ouj  ord 

ing  to  the  amount  of  infestation.  Some  writers  consider  this  mite 
the  most  serious  enenij  of  poultry,  while  others  think  ii  of  secondary 
rank.  In  an)  case,  n  is  a*  pest  of  such  importance  a  to  warrant  the 
-t  rictest  asures  of  repression. 

REMEDIES    \  mi    PBI  \  I  NT1VE8. 

Cleanliness  and  sunlight  are  the  best  means  of  preventing  an 
abundance  of  mites.  A  chicken  house  can  not  be  kept  too  clean.  It 
should  be  cleaned  out  even  few  weeks,  at  Least,  and  it  is  a  great 
advantage  to  have  the  nests  and  roosts  so  built  that  they  can  be 
removed  and  washed  in  some  cleansing  liquid. 

A  treatment  much  in  favor  is  thai  of  whitewashing  the  inside  of 
the  house.  It'  this  is  done,  about  I  ounces  of  crude  carbolic  acid 
should  !"•  added  t<>  each  gallon  of  whitewash.  Like  all  other  treat- 
ments, this  should  be  repeated  in  three  or  four  days,  to  destroy  tin' 
young  which  have  hatched  since  the  first  applicat  ion. 

In  cleaning  the  henhouse  it  is  useful  also  to  scatter  a  mixture  of 
8  parts  of  dry  air-slaked  lime  and  1  part  of  sulphur.  The  doors  and 
windows  should  be  closed  and  the  mixture  thrown  up  to  the  roof  till 
the  air  is  filled  with  it.  It  will  then  settle  upon  everything,  the 
sulphur  killing  many  mites  and  the  lime  aiding  in  drying  the  drop- 
pings.   Setting  hens  need  not  be  disturbed. 

Hut  the  best  remedy  against  the  "chicken  mite"  is  to  spray  with 
kerosene  emulsion.  To  make  this,  shave  one-half  pound  of  hard 
soap  into  1  gallon  of  sofl  water  and  boil  the  mixture  until  the  soap 
i>  dissolved.  Then  remove  it  to  a  safe  distance  from  the  fire  and  stir 
into  it  at  once,  while  -till  hot,  _  Dillon-  of  kerosene  or  coal  oil.  The 
result  is  n  thick,  creamy  emulsion.  Dilute  this  stock  mixture  with 
10  parts  lit'  soft  water,  and  apply  as  a  spray  or  with  a  brush,  being 
careful  to  work  it  into  all  cracks,  crevices,  and  joints  of  the  building. 
Two  or  three  application-  on  the  same  'lay  are  necessary  to  obtain 
the  best  results,  and  this  treatment  should  be  repeated  in  three  or 
four  days  to  kill  the  young  mite-  which  will  have  hatched  since 
the  tir-t  application. 

"run!    Mill-   i  >\    r>  >i  i  i  i:i . 

Although  the  species  mentioned,  Dermanyasus  aaUina  Redi,  i-  by 
far  the  most  injurious,  yet  there  are  several  other  mite-  that  attack 
poultry.  The  ■•  itch  mite  '*  of  fowl-  (Cnemidocoptes  mutant  Robin)  is 
the  cause  of  ••  sealy-leg."    It  does  not.  however,  confine  it-elf  to  the 

[fir.  !>J| 


legs,  but  often  occurs  on  the  comb  and  neck.  The  adults  of  this  species 
arc  very  small,  whitish  in  color,  and  have  very  short- legs.  They 
burrow  in  the  skin,  causing  an  intense  itching,  and  forming  a  crust 
of  loosened  tissue  above  their  burrows.  A  good  remedy  is  to  bathe 
the  infested  parts  in  warm,  soapy  water,  and  then  apply  sulphur 
ointment.  Naphthaline  crystals  powdered  and  mixed  with  9  parts 
of  lard  also  make  an  effective  ointment. 

Another  closely  related  mite,  Cnemidocoptes  gallina  Kailliet,  is 
sometimes  found  on  hens.  It  burrows  near  the  base  of  the  feathers; 
and  the  itching  induces  the  hen  to  pluck  her  feathers  in  a  vain  effort 
to  stop  the  irritation.  It  is  sometimes  called  the  "  depluming  mite." 
Another  similar  mite.  Rivoltasia  bifurcata  Rivolta,  sometimes  feeds 
on  the  feathers  of  fowls,  but  causes  no  injury. 

In  Texas,  Arizona,  New  Mexico,  and  southern  California  there  is 
a  tick,  Argas  miniutus  Koch  (see  fig.  2),  which  attacks  hens,  and  in 
those  sections  is  a  more  serious  menace  to  poultry  even  than  the 
"  chicken  .mite."    The  adult  tick  is  a  flattened,  elliptical,  reddish,  or 

mahogany-brown  creature,  about  one-third  of 
an  inch  long.  The  edges  of  the  body  are 
quite  sharp,  and  from  above  one  can  scarcely 
see  the  small  and  slender  leg-.  The  surface 
of  the  body  is  finely  and  irregularly  rough- 
ened or  pitted.  These  ticks  feed  on  the  hens 
at  night  and  retire  to  the  crevices  of  the  hen- 
house during  the  day.  The  eggs  are  laid  in 
these  crevices,  and  both  ticks  and  eggs  can  be 
destroyed  by  spraying  the  inside  of  the  house 
with  kerosene.  It  is  useful  to  rest  the  end-  of 
the  roosts  upon  something  which  the  ticks  can 
not  cross,  as  a  ball  of  tarred  cotton,  or  the 
whkh    infests    poultry,     roosts   liuiv   be  hung  by    wires   from   above. 

Greatly  enlarged   (original).       ^  ^  ^^  rf  ^  ^  .g  ^  ^  ^^ 

stood  as  yet.  but  there  is  no  probability  that  it  will  spread  to  the 
North. 

LICE. 


The  various  species  of  lice  affecting  poultry  are  more  numerous 
than  the  mites,  but   since  they   do  not   suck   the  blood   they   are   Less 


injurious- 


THE  COMMON    HEN   LOUSE. 


DESCBI1TION   AM)   HABITS. 


The  only   species   found   in   abundance   throughout    the   country   is 
known  as  Menopon  pallidum  Nitzsch  (see  fig.  3),  the  common  "hen 


[CIr.  92] 


louse."  This  is  pale  « 1 1  >  1 1  yellow  in  color,  with  more  or  less  distinct 
darker  marks  on  each  side  of  the  body,  although  often  after  feeding 
it  is  reddish  or  pinkish  in  color.  The  length  is  aboul  one-twentieth 
of  an  inch,  the  legs  are  six  in  number,  and  the  head  i-  broad,  rounded 
in  front,  with  a  small  antenna  <>r  feeler  on  each  side.  Ii  is  always 
without  \\  ings. 

This  louse  is  very  active,  and  seems  to  wander  continually  over  the 
akin  or  among  the  feathers,  apparent  1\  looking  for  something  new  .  a  - 
any  person  will  discover  who  handles  a  lousy  hen.  The  eggs,  or 
'•  nits,'1  of  ilii-  louse  are  tiny,  elongate,  oval  objects,  with  the  smaller 
end  flattened  and  the  larger  end  attached  i<>  the  vanes  and  barbs  of 
the  feathers.     II'  conditions  are  favorable,  the  young  issue  from  the 

_•  in  about  eight  days,  but  they  may  !><•  kept  in  :i  cool  place  for 
Beveral  month-  without  loss  of  vitality.     The  young  louse  is  much 
like  the  parent,  having  -i\  legs  and  a  broad  head,  but  with  ;i  rather 
smaller  body.     It  keeps  close  to  the  bodj  of 
the  host,  molts  several   times,  and   in  the 
course  of  two  or  three  weeks,  if  not   dis- 
turbed, will  reach  maturity.     Lice  are  not 
provided    with    mandibles    fitted    to    suck 
blood  from  a  hen,  but  they  use  then-  short 
toothed  jaws  to  bite  off  the  epidermal  scales, 
or  dandruff,  and  the  edges  of  the  feathers. 
The  claws  of  the  feet  are  sometimes  verj 
sharp,  and  continual  pricking  of  the  host 
draw-  blood,  which  is  greedily  eaten  bj  the 
lice.    This  accounts  for  the  reddish  color  of 
many  specimens. 

Dampness,  tilth,  and  warm  weather  favor 
the  increase  of  these  lice,  and  a  setting  hen 
in  a  foul  nest  is  their  paradise.  At  night 
they  crawl  ahout  on  the  roosts,  going  from 
one  fowl  to  another,  so  that  one  infested  bird  wi 
infestation  of  an  entire  flock. 

The  chicken-  do  not  suffer  from  loss  of  blood,  Win  from  the  nervous 
exhaustion  induced  by  the  biting  of  their  scales  ami  the  scratching 
and  pricking  from  the  claw-,  often  resulting  iii  -ore-  or  ulcerations. 
The  continual  worry  and  loss  of  sleep  produce  debility  ami  bowel 
troubles.  Little  chicken-  are.  of  course,  more  susceptible  and  often 
die  from  the  attack-. 

Unlike  mite-,  lice  are  usually  confined  to  one  kind  of  host,  and  the 
lice  on  duck-,  geese,  and  pigeons  are  of  kind-  different  from  those  on 
chickens. 

[Ctr.92] 


I  - 

pallidum 

enlai  ual). 


soon  cause  the 


REMEDIES. 


Many  people  who  keep  a  few  hens  consider  the  infestation  by  lice 
a  natural  state  of  affairs,  and  so  long  as  the  lice  are  not  so  excessively 
numerous  as  to  interfere  seriously  in  egg  production  no  attempts  arc 
made  to  exterminate  them.  Lice,  however,  arc  readily  killed  by  a 
number  of  substances,  although  there  is  more  or  less  difficulty  in 
getting  at  them.  Hidden  among  the  feather-  or  close  against  the 
body  the  parasites  arc  secure  against  any  remedy  unless  it  be  applied 
very  thoroughly.  Moreover,  one  application  is  not  enough.  "What 
will  kill  the  lice  may  not  affect  the  eggs  or  "nits.**  so  it  is  necessary 
to  repeat  within  a  few  day-  any  method  of  treatment  that  may  be 
used. 

Carbolic  acid,  tobacco,  sulphur,  naphthaline,  or  any  oily  substance 
will  kill  the  lice  if  it  touches  them. 

Carbolic  acid  must  be  handled  with  great  care,  for  it  i-  a  burning 
poison.  It  is  used  mixed  with  lime  or  kerosene.  To  make  the  lime 
mixture,  stir  2  ounce-  of  90  per  cent  carbolic  acid  in  1  pint  of  cold 
water,  sprinkle  it  in  a  half  bushel  of  lime,  and  leave  the  lime  to  air 
slake.  This  can  be  sprinkled  anywhere  about  the  henhouse,  but  is 
most  effective  if  put  in  the  nests  and  mixed  with  the  dust  in  the 
"wallow."  If  kerosene  is  used,  take  2  ounces  of  carbolic  acid  to  1 
gallon  of  kerosene,  stir  it  thoroughly,  and  paint  the  mixture  upon  the 
roosts  and  nests,  keeping  the  poultry  out  of  the  house  until  the  mix- 
ture is  dry. 

Tobacco  is  used  as  an  infusion,  made  by  pouring  hot  water  on 
tobacco  stems.  The  hens  are  dipped  into  the  liquid  thus  made.  This 
is  not  a  pleasant  method  to  practice,  and  care  should  be  taken  to  pre- 
vent the  fowls  from  taking  cold.  Tobacco  dust  is  the  basis  of  various 
powders  which  are  advertised  to  be  used  against  lice.  Their  value 
depends  largely  upon  the  strength  and  frc-hness  of  the  components. 
They  are  often  used  successfully,  although  frequently  they  are  ex- 
pensive. 

Sulphur  mixed  with  air-slaked  lime.  10  pounds  of  sulphur  to  a  half 
bushel  of  lime,  is  also  often  used  against  lice.  This  may  be  scattered 
everywhere  in  the  house,  or  mixed  in  the  dust  wallow.  Sulphur  can 
also  lie  used  in  fumigation.  To  avoid  danger  from  lire,  the  sulphur 
or  sulphur  candle  should  be  put  on  an  old  tin  can  or  something  simi- 
lar, and  this  placed  in  the  middle  of  a  pan  of  wet  ashes  or  earth. 
Light  the  candle  and  shut  the  house  tightly  for  several  hours;  then 
air  it  well  before  allowing  the  hens  to  enter. 

Kerosene  may  be  used  in  conjunction  with  naphthaline.     Dissolve 

in   kero>cne  all  the  flake  naphthaline   it   will   take,  and  paint   the 

roosts  and  nests  with  this  saturated  solution  every  week  or  so  for  a 

few   months.     Sawdust    wet    with   this   liquid  may  be  placed  in  the 

[Cir.92] 


nest,  but  should  be  pu(  beneath  the  straw,  so  thai  the  eggs  will  not 
rest  u|m>ii  it.  Naphthaline  is  nol  poisonous,  however,  and  maj  be 
handled  w  ithoul  danger. 


try 


ol  II I  I:    l.Hl    "\    POULTRY. 

Chickens  are  subject    i"  the  attacks   of   various   other   lice   with 

habits  similar  to  t lie » — « -  of  the  species  mentioned,  but  mosl  of  them 

ire    not    common.     One,    .'/•      pon    biseriatum 

Piaget,  is  eery  like  1 1 » « -  common  "hen   louse,1 

Inn    larger,   and    with   a    more   elongate   body. 

Others  belong  t<>  the  genera  Lipeurus  (fig.   1), 

Goniodes    i  fig.    5 1.    and    <  roniocotes    I  tiu 

Several  of  these  are  known   as  "gray  sucker 

lire.'"    They    'In    not    move    around    a-    much 

a-    the    Menopons    and    hit    < >ft»-n    confined    u> 

one  pari  of  the  body. 
Sometimes  they  burj 
their  heads  in  the  scales 
of  tin'  skin  or  close  to 
th<  base  nt'  ;i  feather 
ami  remain  a  long  time 
in  one  position.  The  species  of  Lipeurus 
arc  more  slender  than  the  common  lice, 
ami  the  Goniodes  and  Goniocotes  are 
broader,  with  more  prominent  feelers  or 
antenna?, .and  with  darker  spots  on  the  bor 
ders  of  the  body 
\^         'I'll.'  remedies  used 

Tk  a      aira  i  i  i — t     the     ■  ■ 

•■    Unit     In  l  i 

henhu**1  f        »"»»  '"'"   >'"     ' 

at    the   same   time 
destroy  any  of  these  other  lice  that   hap 
pen  to  be  present. 

A    SURE    PREVENTIVE    FOR    MITES    AND 
LICE. 

Since  lice  and  mites  have  no  wings 
and  ran  crawl  but  short  distances,  it  is 
evident  that  they  are  disseminated  only 
from  fowl  to  fowl.  But  if  an  infested  b 
or  rooster  i-  brought  to  the  flock  the  parasiti — oon  spread  to  nil  the 
birds.  There  i-  a  possibility  that  lice  may  lie  carried  by  certain  bird 
flies,  but  such  die-  have  been  found  so  rarely  on  poultry  that  this 

[I'ir 


■ 
■ 


UNIVERSITY  OF  FLORIDA 
I     I     II        II      I  I    I     I 


8 

3  1262  09216  4937 

method  of  infestation  need  not  be  considered.  It  i-  t  here  fore  a  Mire 
preventive  agains{  mites  and  lice  to  keep  only  poultry  hatched  in  an 
incubator  and  raised  in  a  brooder.  Build  the  hen  house  on  a  spot 
where  none  has  been  before:  never  buy  fowls,  raise  them  artificially  J 
keep  them  away  fijom  other  hens,  and  they  will  not  be  trouble,]  by 
mites  and  lice. 

Approved: 

James  Wilson. 

Seen  tary  of  Agriculture. 
Washington,  I).  (\.  August  6,  1907. 

[Cir.92]  * 

O 


